Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Ultralight backpacking - how do you do it?

Obviously the largest variable is the amount of water you carry. As mentioned in another thread, some people don't feel comfortable pumping water every few miles. There's a trade off between carry a few extra pounds and having a lot of 'work breaks'. I lean towards the extra pounds (besides, the original bottled water you bring tastes better). But as I get older, I'll have to lighten up as much as possible in order to make it up at all.